Mechanical rectifier.



F. ADSH. I MECHANICAL RECTIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. I913.

- 1,212,874; Patented Jan. 16,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I. jfg 34a F; ADSIT.

MECHANICAL RECTIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 1913.

1,212,874. Patented Jan.16,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. IIZ 2 \A/ EEEE EL F. ADSIT.

MECHANICAL RECTIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. ms.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, FRANK ADSIT, F CHICAGO,-ILLIN 01S.

MECHANICAL ancrinrna.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

fAp'plication fi1ed September 15, 1918. Serial No. 789,764.

' To all whom it may concern:

maintenance.

Be it known that I, FRANK Ansrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Mechanicalj Rectifiers; and I do hereby declare that the'following is a full, clear, and exact deen no' of the's'ame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a very simple device adapted to mechanically rectify an alternati-ng current and wherepractically the only loss of power occurs in the actual power used for driving the device to overcome friction of the parts, and this'is of necessity a, small factor. v p I It is furthermore an object of this invention to construct a device free from sparking at all loads and requiring a number of rotations equal to only half of that of an vordinary two segment commutator and slip ring device.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct a device requiring a great deal less space than is usual in a ring and seg ment combination, thus relieving the bearings of shaft strains, and making the device desirable other respects.

The invention (in a preferred form) is hereinafter more fully described and 'defined in the-accompanying drawings and specification.

, In the drawings: Figure l is a top plan view partly broken away and in section,

illustrating a rectifying device with vthe wires and switches connected thereto. Fig. 21s an enlarged sectlonal detall of a slip ring and commutator element at one end of Rectifiers for the purpose of converting the device.v Fig.3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, with partsin elevation. Fig.5 1s a modification of the elements shownin Fig 4. Figs; 6 to 13 inclusive arediagrammatic vlews "illustrating difi'erent operations for different points in the cycle of operation Fig. '14 is a diagrammatic view illustratmg a wave cycle of-alternating current. As shown, in the drawings: The reference numeral 1,, indicates as a whole a casing, formed, as shown, for the purpose of entirely incl'osing the device and affordmg a support for the rotating elements therein. The reference numeral 2, indicates an armature shaft journaled in'said casing 1, and provided with a. rotatable armature 3. Said shaft on one end thereof is provided with a commutator 4, and slip rings 5 and .6, insulated and adjacent thereto, each one of said respective slip rings 5 and 6,

being connected to an opposite commutator segment 7 and '8, by means of a wire 9 and 10, respectively.' As stated, and as shown in the drawings, each of said slip rings and commutator are insulated from the armature shaft and from one another.

A pair of brushes denoted respectively by the reference numerals .11, and 12, bear upon said commutator 4. Likewise bearing on each of said respective slip rings 5 and 6, are brushes 13, and 14, one for each of said rings. Secured upon the opposite end of the armature shaft 2, .is a two seg- 'ment commutator consisting of the segments 15, and 16, respectively, insulated from one'another and from the armature shaft. Two pair of brushes "are adapted to bear upon said two segment commutator, the one pair beingthe a. c. brushes denoted respectively by'the reference numerals '17 and 18, and the other pair of c. brushes 19 and 20, respectively.

' As shown in Fig. 4, the pair of brushes 19 and 20, are arran ed substantiall right angles to said rushes 17', an 18, and it. is to be particularly noticed in this respect that the width of the insulation between 'the respective commutator segments 15 and 16, is reater than the area of bearing surface 0 any one of the brushes.- In

order to obviate positionin of the brushes 17 18, 19, and 20, upon a single brush support, as shown in Fig. 4, I have illustrated a modification in Fig. 5 whereby the respective commutator segments 15 and 16, are

each separately connected toone of .a .pair of insulated contact or slip rings 21, and22,

, Likewise binding post terminals 26, and 27,

are respectively connected to the brushes. 13, and 14. A- knife contact member 28,

adapted to swing into contact with either of said pair of terminals is pivotally mounted centrally of the switch, each one of-the insulated contact bars thereof, being connected to. a terminal post 29 and 30, respectively. It is therefore readily apparent that an inflowing alternating current flowing into the line wires 31 and 32, respectively will becaused to flow into the respective brushes 11 and 12, or, if the switch is in the. position shown in Fig. 1, into thebrushes 13, and 14,

the terminals 24 and 25', being connected to said brushes 11 and 12, by w1res'33 and 34, respectively, and to the field windings of the motor by wires 33' and 34, leading from the brushes 12and 11, respectively,to the terminals of the field windings. The terminals 26 and 27, are connected to the respectivebrushes13 and 14, by means of wires 35, and 36. p

'When it is'desired to start the device the knife switch member 28, is thrown into'contact with the terminals 24, and 25, thus introducing an alternating current through the field windings and to the commutator 4, through the brushes 11 and 12, and after the device has started. the knife member 28, is thrown into contact with the respective terminal members 26 and 27, to thereby introduce the current to the motor to, drive the same through the respective slip rings 5 and 6. A similar double'throw double pole knife switch 37, is connected to the d. c.

brushes 19 and 20, respectively, for the purpose of changing the polarity or direction of flow of the direct current if desired.

As shown in Fig. 1, when the knife switch member 28, is thrown into contact with the terminals 26, andj27, the motor then becomes shunted across the main A. C. line and the alternatin current to be rectified flows through t e respective terminals 26 and 27 through the wires 38, and 39, which are connected at their ends to the a. c. brushes 17 and 18, respectively. Lead wires 40 and 41, are "eachrespectively connected to the d. c. brushes. 19 and 20, and the wire 40, is

'of power.

also connected to each of the terminals 42,

and 43, of the knife switch 37. Likewise wire 41, is connected to eachof the terminals 44, and 45, of said knife switch 37, so

that as the knife switch member 46, is'

thrown into either'one or the other of its extreme positions an electrical circuit is closed through either of the respective pairs of contacts 42, and 44, or 43 and, 45, through the terminals 47, and 48, which are connected to the outgoing leads49 and 50thus determining the polarity of these leads. If desired, an impedance coil 51, may be inserted in the circuit of the outgoing leads 349, or 50, in order to correct any pulsating eflect in the direct current flowing therethrough. Any suitabletype of galvanometer 52, may be connected to said switch 37, for the purpose of determining the polarity of thedirect current.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to start-the device the knife switch member 28, is thrown into contact with the respective terminals 24 and 25, thus closing the main power circuit, the fields of the motor being energized with alternating cmrent of the same frequency as that of the source of power. The brushes 11 and 12,

supply current to the armature, this current a being initially of the frequency of the source Due to the inter-action of the armature field and its field coils, the armature'begins to move, the speed of the armature" being gradually f accelerated until itsynchronizes with the speed of the generator furnishing thepower. After-the motor has become synchronized, the switch is thrown into. its other extreme position to thereby introduce the current from the terminals 26- and 27 through the slip rings 5 and 6,- on the commutator shaft. As already stated in this position of the switch'the' motor as a synchronous motor is shunted across the alternatingf current line and the alternating current flows through the wires.

38, 39, to the brushes 17,andz18, respectively, to be rectified at the'two segment commutator.

6 to 14 inclusive, wherein a part of a cycle is illustrated for each one eighth rotation of the commutator shaft. two segment commutator to be in the position shown in Fig. 6, the a. c. brushes are shown in contact with the insulated portion of the commutator, and the commutatoris so positioned and timed for rotation that in this position the alternating'current is at a neutral point in its phase indicated by a reference letter a, in Fig.14. As the commutator makes a one eighth revolution to the position shown in Fig. 7, the inner arrows denoting the'direction of rotation of the The operation from hereon may ha y more easily followed by reference to Figs.

Assuming the 3 commutator, the alternating current flows in at the brush 17 and out at the brush 18, and

, in the d. c. brushes the current flows outwardly from the segment 16, through the brush 20, and, of course, in an opposite d1- rection in the brush 19, which is now in electrical communication with the a. 'c. brush 18, through the commutator segment 15.

With the commutator in the position shown in Fig. 7, the alternating current is at one peak in the cycle as indicated by the reference letter 6.

' When the commutator has made an additional one eighth revolutionor in all a quar- I ter of a revolution, as shown in Fig. 8, the d. c. brushes 19 and 20, are in contact with the insulation of the commutator, and accordingly out of .circuit for the moment, this being a neutral point, as indicated by the reference letter a, in the cycle of alternation of the alternating current. With another one eighth revolution, as shown in Fig. 9,.the commutator segment 15, is in contact with the respective brushes 18, and 20, and the other segment 16, is in electrical communication with each of the brushes 17, and 19, respectively, so that the alternating current, which is now at the peak in the reversal of its cycle, as indicated by the ref- I erence letter d, flows inwardly through the brush 18, and outwardly through'the brush 20, and inwardly through the brush 19, and outwardly through the brush 17, so that, as in Fig. 6, so far as the brushes are concerned, the current is flowing therethrough in the same direction as before, although of course, it is reversed through the brushes 17, and 18., The next point in the phase of the alternating current is a neutral point e, which as the alternating current reaches this point the commutator is in the-position shown in Fig. 10, with the brushes 1-7, and 18, in contact with the insulated portion thereof, but

contra-distinctive to the position shown in. Fig. 6, the brushes l9, and 20, are now in points in the phase of alternation of the cur-.

rent, and denoted respectively by the reference letters 6 and f. Accordingly, the direct current flows outwardly through the brush 20, said brusli'being in electrical communication with the brush 17 as'shown. When the commutator has made still another one portions of the commutator, and this 'corre-' Fig. 13, the alternating current reversesthrough its peak 71,, and the commutator segments are in a position to properly directthe current throughthe d. c. brushes, to thus rectify the reversal in flow of the alternating current.

It is obvious that various details of construction of my device may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of the invention. I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than-necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class'described a selfstarting synchronous motor adapted to be operated by an alternating current, a'plurality of commutators on the shaft of said motor, slip rings adjacent one of said commutators, and means connected with said last mentioned commutator and with said rings adapted to transfer said alternating current independently of said motor to another of said commutators to be thereby rectified into a direct current.

2. In a device of the class described a motor, a plurality of multiple segment commutators mounted on .either end thereof, multiple sets of brushes connected to said commutators, one set thereof adapted to receive an alternating current therethrough and another set adapted to take off a direct rectified current from one of said commutators.

3. In a device of the class described a motor, commutators on each end of the armature'shaft thereof and insulated therefrom, an alternating current circuit, slip rings connected to one of said commutators at one end of said armature shaft tending to drive the motor shunted across said alternating current circuit, and brushes connected to the commutator at the other end of said shaft to lead the alternating current through said commutator, and brushes hearing upon said commutator adapted to take off a direct rectifiedcurrent therefrom.

4. In a device of the class described a plurality of multiple segment commutators, means rotating the same .in phase with an alternating current, and brushes bearing on one of said commutators adapted to lead an alternating current thereto and anotherpair of brushes to take a rectified direct current therefrom.

5. In a device of the class described for use with a source of alternating current, a motor, a. multiple segment jcommutator mounted on the shaft thereof, slip rings mounted on said shaft adjacent to said commutator, said commutator and rings insulated from said shaft and from each other, said motor, rings and commutator adapted to be rotated as a unit by said alternating current, a second commutator mounted on said shaft, brushes bearing on said second commutator adapted to introduce an alternating current thereto, and brushes bearing' on. said second commutator at an angle to said first mentioned brushes adapted to take off the rectified current therefrom.

6. Ina device of the class described for use with an alternating current, and 2. rectifier for said current comprising field magnets, a. rotary shaft, an armature mounted on said shaft adapted to rotate in the field of said magnets, a multiple segment commutator on one end of said shaft, slip rings connected thereto, said commutator and said FRANK ADSIT.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., LEON M. REIBSTEIN. 

